Trader Joe's now open at Quarry

Trader Joe's at 350 East Basse Road opened for business on November 2, 2012.

Photo By Tom Reel/San Antonio Express-News

Trader Joe's at 350 East Basse Road opened for business on November 2, 2012.

Photo By Tom Reel/San Antonio Express-News

The new store will be Trader Joe’s second in San Antonio. Its first location opened in November 2012 at 350 E. Basse Road in the Quarry Village. (Express-News file photo)

Photo By Neal Morton/San Antonio Express-News

Big crowds greeted the grand opening of the Trader Joe's at the Quarry Village on Friday, Nov. 2, 2012.

Photo By Neal Morton/San Antonio Express-News

Big crowds greeted the grand opening of the Trader Joe's at the Quarry Village on Friday, Nov. 2, 2012.

Photo By Neal Morton/San Antonio Express-News

Big crowds greeted the grand opening of the Trader Joe's at the Quarry Village on Friday, Nov. 2, 2012.

Photo By Neal Morton/San Antonio Express-News

Big crowds greeted the grand opening of the Trader Joe's at the Quarry Village on Friday, Nov. 2, 2012.

Photo By Neal Morton/San Antonio Express-News

Big crowds greeted the grand opening of the Trader Joe's at the Quarry Village on Friday, Nov. 2, 2012.

Photo By Neal Morton/San Antonio Express-News

Big crowds greeted the grand opening of the Trader Joe's at the Quarry Village on Friday, Nov. 2, 2012.

Photo By Neal Morton/San Antonio Express-News

Big crowds greeted the grand opening of the Trader Joe's at the Quarry Village on Friday, Nov. 2, 2012.

Photo By Neal Morton/San Antonio Express-News

Big crowds greeted the grand opening of the Trader Joe's at the Quarry Village on Friday, Nov. 2, 2012.

Photo By Neal Morton/San Antonio Express-News

Big crowds greeted the grand opening of the Trader Joe's at the Quarry Village on Friday, Nov. 2, 2012.

Photo By Ana Ley/Express-News

San Antonio's Trader Joe's opened Friday, Nov. 2, 2012.

Photo By Ana Ley/Express-News

San Antonio's Trader Joe's opened Friday, Nov. 2, 2012.

Photo By Ana Ley/Express-News

Jessica Bargo rings up a customer at the newly opened Trader Joe's at Alamo Quarry Village Friday morning. Bargo normally works at the chain's Fort Worth store, but she was working at the San Antonio location on opening day.

Photo By Tom Reel/San Antonio Express-News

Trader Joe's at 350 East Basse Road opens for business on November 2, 2012.

Murals depicting San Antonio scenes highlight the walls, all created by Trader Joe's crew members.

Some 80 to 85 percent of items (more than 2,000) on TJ's shelves are store brand. We counted 14 salsas on the chips aisle, all bearing the Trader Joe's label.

Jorge Macias, store manager or Captain, as Trader Joe's calls the position, expects the store's products to “shift in and out, depending on customer demands.” The store gets about 12 new items each week. At present, there's a heavy emphasis on items for Thanksgiving dinner. Fresh turkeys will be available Nov. 9.

Macias considers TJ's a “true neighborhood store,” though it's a store with a difference. Trader Joe's products have no artificial coloring, preservatives, additives or genetic modifications.

There are more than 360 Trader Joe's stores nationwide, with four in Texas. The store has a no-hassle return policy; any item can be returned for a refund or exchange.

Guests and anyone in the community can sponsor a soldier by calling 210-699-5803. For every sponsored soldier, Omni will match by sponsoring another.

Thanksgiving Day Brunch will be served 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. with seatings every 30 minutes. The buffet costs $39.95 for adults, $16.95 for children 5-11 and is free for children younger than 5.

OpenTable's Top 100 Wine Lists

Online restaurant reservation site OpenTable recently released its 2012 Diners' Choice Award winners for the Top 100 Restaurants with the Most Notable Wine Lists in the U.S.

“These winning restaurants understand that the right sip brings out the best in every bite,” OpenTable Chief Dining Officer Caroline Potter said in a press release. “Each honoree has created thoughtful wine lists that go beyond merely complementing their dishes. The offerings manage to educate and excite diners at different price points so that discovering a new wine or revisiting a familiar varietal is accessible to virtually every guest.”

Texas has five entries on the list, including Block 7 in Houston, Mercy Wine Bar in Dallas, and three Lasco Enterprises spots — Max's Wine Dive here and in Austin and The Tasting Room in Houston.

The list is compiled from 5 million OpenTable dining reviews and can be viewed online at opentable.com/wine.

Nominate your favorite 'cue

Texas Monthly will soon begin road-tripping the state in search of the best barbecue for its fifth anniversary edition of the Top 50 BBQ Joints in Texas issue due out in June 2013. The team is interested in nominations from Texas barbecue fans. Submit your favorites, including the address, phone number and hours, on the Eat My Words blog: texasmonthly.com/blogs/eatmywords/?p=9376.